Stephen Hackett, regarding the recent rumors of a 12-inch MacBook Air:

Apple’s got a history of trying to ship Macs without fans — think iMac G3 and the G4 Cube — but nothing recently. The MacBook Pro with Retina display ships with asymmetric fans, and the new Mac Pro uses one large fan, but a modern Mac with no fan seems almost impossible.

I’m not sure about “impossible.” However, it does seem very unlikely in a notebook computer. But, Apple’s never been one to ignore things that seem impossible or unlikely.

I do disagree with Stephen when it comes to the size of notebook computers. He currently uses a 13-inch MacBook Air which he says “takes up a sizable amount of desk/lap space” and previously owned an 11.6-inch Air which he believed to be too small for him.

I’ve used an 11.6-inch MacBook Air since Apple released their mid-2011 models and I’ve absolutely loved the size. I can’t think of one reason over the past two-and-a-half years that I’ve had for wanting a bigger screen. If there is anything I’ve ever wanted more of it’s battery life, but I purchased my Air before Apple bumped the 11-inch’s battery up to nine hours — mine is rated at five.

Notebook size does have an affect on what size battery Apple is able to fit in the computer. But, I think that when you start talking about battery life above eight hours the differences are negligible for most users (including me). There could be benefits in releasing a 12-inch notebook rather than an 11-inch but I’m not sure what those would actually be.

If Apple releases a 12-inch MacBook Air I’m sure it will be a great product, but I’m not convinced that the size will be the best feature.